<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The space between us (maybe we don't need it anymore) by purgatorycitizen</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28035033">The space between us (maybe we don't need it anymore)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/purgatorycitizen/pseuds/purgatorycitizen'>purgatorycitizen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hawaii Five-0 (2010)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time, M/M, Slash, Unresolved Sexual Tension</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:49:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,755</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28035033</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/purgatorycitizen/pseuds/purgatorycitizen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Steve McGarrett is a firefighter and Danny Williams is a cop and they are friends. Sure, they spend their days off together, they yell at each other and they bicker like an old married couple but it's all good, until the fine line between them get blurred by the sexual tension and the feelings threatening to mess up everything. Danny knows they crossed the line too many times and as the detective he is, he starts wondering what this means. If one's an incident, two is a coincidence and three is a pattern. What's four? (Stiles Stilinski said that.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>145</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The space between us (maybe we don't need it anymore)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Another one, this time entering the smut territory. Please be kind, as mentioned in my previous work english is not my first language and I'm all for constructive criticism and feedback  but kindness take nothing and I'm still lacking tons of confidence. I'm grateful I ventured again in this fandom because it's an endless source of inspiration.<br/>The most special thank you goes to <a href="https://tehomet.tumblr.com/">Tehomet</a>, who kindly answered my help request on tumblr for a beta reader and they're helping me out so much with my fics.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Steve McGarrett’s and Danny Williams’s first encounter happens on Kalakaua Avenue around midnight, when the Fire Station 25 responds to a call about a fire in a popular club in the area. Steve’s the first firefighter to jump into the burning building to search for survivors and he comes out less than ten minutes later, carrying an unconscious girl.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny Williams is the first on scene with his partner Chin Ho Kelly. They’re in charge of the investigation to determine if the fire’s arson or accidental. Danny yells at Steve, in front of everyone, for being a Neanderthal with no sense of self-preservation. “What’s the matter with you? Uh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve doesn’t seem offended by the rant, he just grins, walks past Danny, and asks if the big temper is to compensate for the lack of height.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Big mistake that one, because Danny Williams has a mean right hook and he’s not afraid to use it. He punches Steve McGarrett – Commander Steve McGarrett, captain of the Fire Station 25 and decorated Navy SEAL – in the face so hard that Steve stumbles back with a broken nose and a bruise that will hurt tomorrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’re right, I don’t like you</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then Danny’s gone, walking to the crime scene like he owns the place and Steve McGarrett is impressed – he just doesn’t say it out loud. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The second time they meet each other is the proof that fate has a weird sense of humor. Danny finally moves out from the shady, depressing first apartment he rented when he arrived in Honolulu, to a lovely bungalow with a small garden and access to a small private beach, and he couldn’t be happier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s almost midday and he’s busy moving boxes from the van he borrowed from Chin and it’s his day off, which basically means that laundry day can wait until tomorrow. Danny moves boxes around wearing only a pair of bright red shorts, a t-shirt with Darth Vader’s face on it and </span>
  <em>
    <span>the dark side made me do it</span>
  </em>
  <span> underneath. He’s wearing flip-flops and a pair of cheap sunglasses with pink lenses. He’s humming softly along with the Abba’s song coming from the radio of the car.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve McGarrett is standing in front of him wearing a pair of loose shorts that are about to slip down his hips. He stands tall, tanned and gorgeous with his six-pack of rock hard abs and broad shoulders covered in tattoos, sweat drops pouring from the curve of his neck, slowly down his flat abdomen and disappearing behind the happy trail of dark hair that keep going under the thin fabric of the shorts. He teases Danny, asking </span>
  <em>
    <span>what the dark side made you do it</span>
  </em>
  <span> and Danny rolls his eyes so hard he might lose them on the ground.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny Williams doesn’t rant much this time but the inner conversation with himself is just a broken record of why and </span>
  <em>
    <span>what did I do wrong?</span>
  </em>
  <span> He doesn’t say it out loud and Steve beams, his his pretty smile and even prettier eyes,, and then lays down a hand on Danny’s shoulder and says something that sounds a lot like </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can’t believe you’re my new neighbor</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and Danny is officially done.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There are plenty of chances to meet and suddenly the island of Oahu feels smaller and Steve is everywhere. And he’s so nice most of the time – he’s also a little shit and uses those beautiful puppy-dog eyes to get what he wants. The man never paid for a Frappuccino in his life and yet Danny goes to Starbucks every couple of days and they still get his name wrong. FYI, this week he was Darren. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve McGarrett is adorable – most of the time. He lives in the house next to Danny and shares his space with a rescued police dog named Eddie, a labrador who takes orders in French, a white fluffy cat called Mister Pickles, and a kitten named Lucy or something along the lines of </span>
  <em>
    <span>what did you do this time? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She’s a little ginger tabby with powerful green eyes that could make people do anything. Steve came to her rescue when she was stuck in a tree. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So yeah, Steve McGarrett is Danny’s neighbor, and Danny sees him all the time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The third time they meet each other, Grace is spending the weekend with Danny and they are playing in the sand at his place. Steve comes around to say hi and Grace likes him at once. She asks several questions about his dog and his cats and then they spend the rest of the afternoon eating ice cream and talking about the ocean and dolphins. She calls him Stevie now – and only she can do it.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>They bicker like an old married couple, they argue about everything and often they spend their days off together, eating take-out and drinking beer on the couch and yet, there’s a lot of tension between them, especially when they meet during the working day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve McGarrett is a decorated officer, a former Navy SEAL, who ran countless of unsanctioned missions in hostile countries and he probably used to jump for helicopters and defuse bombs on a daily basis. Now he’s a firefighter – the captain of Fire Station 25 – and he still runs inside burning buildings if that means he can save a life and he’s been treated at the hospital more times than he can count. Steve is also kind and compassionate, he’s brave not because he has a hero complex, but because he has the biggest heart and he wants to make the world a better place. Steve is also a control freak, uptight, and with the amazing ability to compartmentalize everything he’s not ready to face directly, and Danny enjoys pushing his button, maybe a bit too much. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny Williams is not an idiot and he knows he’s playing with fire – no pun intended – but he likes Steve and he likes driving him crazy and he can’t help it if every time he sees a red truck on the road he pops a boner. It’s mostly harmless fun and they’ve never really overstepped the line of friendly beers and yelling at each other when one of them does something stupid – Steve, usually it’s Steve. But then it happens and there is not much Danny Williams can do about it and let’s be honest, moving to another island is not an option. You know how they say: if one is an incident, two is a coincidence, and three is a pattern, what’s four?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>One is the incident</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It happens during the serial arsonist case. It’s the 4</span>
  <span>th</span>
  <span> of July and it’s a suffocating night. The heatwave hit the island the same morning and tempers are running high among the population of Oahu. There has been a non-stop flow of calls to 911 that day and the team of Fire Station 25 has been out on calls almost all day, from the incident on the highway to support with crowd control at the parade. Everyone is tired, too caffeinated, and tensions are running high.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The shift’s about to finish when they get another call for a house on fire just five miles out of the city center. It’s a residential area, in the suburbs and mostly houses belonging to families, and it’s the third arson fire in the last two weeks. The scene is a circus of cameras from the TV stations, a crowd of curious people living in the neighborhood, and HPD coordinating to keep the area free and interviewing witnesses.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As usual, Steve gives orders to his team, and then he hears someone screaming from inside of the house. He jumps into the fire without thinking about it, while Kono and Meka try to keep the entrance clear of the flames and give Steve the chance to make it out alive. He's inside for almost ten minutes and it feels like double the time. When he comes out of the house he’s carrying the lifeless body of a teenage girl and he looks broken.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There are burns on his right arm and both his hands – first-degree burns, nothing too serious but he’s probably running only on adrenaline and he barely feels the pain. They get him on the back of the ambulance, away from the crime scene, and one of the paramedics is treating him with first aid. They keep saying that he needs to go to the hospital and get checked by a doctor but Steve doesn’t care, he keeps staring at his hands and he doesn’t speak. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny finds Steve alone and lost in his thoughts, his ability to compartmentalize is gone and Steve looks to be on the verge of a panic attack. Danny wants to scream, he wants to yell at Steve, and he’s so angry he’s vibrating with concern and rage and frustration. But Danny takes a moment to look at Steve and suddenly all he wants is to wrap him in a blanket and cuddle him  until morning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny does exactly that. He wraps his arms around Steve’s neck in a hug that is smothering, warm and even a bit overwhelming and Steve inhales the smell of sweat and aftershave and something masculine that is so Danny, soaks in the feeling of comfort. It lasts longer than the average hug between friends, the heat of their bodies is too much, and Danny’s lips are too close to Steve’s face but for now he doesn’t care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then Steve turns his head slowly to face Danny’s, he leans in slowly and kisses him. It’s soft and careful. Steve has the focus of a man who ran military operations for over a decade and it’s like there is nothing else around except them and Steve’s warm lips and the faint smell of smoke from the uniform. It should feel like a mistake and instead it’s like coming home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get you home, big guy.” They end up on the couch at Steve’s house. They don’t talk about it and they both fall asleep right there with the sound of the ocean in their ears, Steve’s head in the space between Danny’s neck and shoulders, and it’s the best night of sleep they have since a while. They don’t talk about the kiss in the morning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Two is the coincidence</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It happens when Danny and Chin are investigating. A bomb exploded in a government office downtown that killed six people. They’re having issues identifying the point of origin and how the device was built, so they get a consultant from the fire department – Steve McGarrett, most likely for his expertise with explosive devices.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The problem is Detective Williams tends to be territorial when he’s working. He has a method he likes to follow and he’s not used to sitting around while someone else is in control of his crime scene and Steve’s work is meticulous – too much in Danny’s humble opinion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve comes back to the crime scene on more than one occasion, his mind wrapped around the mystery and incapable of simply letting go, and he does it after hours, in his free time. Danny is not pleased about it and he lets Steve know, loudly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny gets a notification about someone entering the crime scene in the middle of the night and since he’s driving home from the office and he’s about a couple of blocks away, he decides to go and have a look, ignoring the voice in the back of his head telling him that any decision made at two in the morning will end up in trouble. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as he realizes who the person entering and contaminating his crime scene is, Danny Williams explodes with rage, and his temper gets the best of him, again. There is a fine line between anger and excitement when Danny and Steve are involved or too close to each other and that outrage that Danny feels because somebody is invading his territory is not all due to the job but mostly at the way frustration and arousal build inside him every time Steve McGarrett gets too close.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And they are so close now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s the matter with you, uh? Why are you here in the middle of the night?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was just checking again, to be sure I’m not missing anything. Why are you yelling at me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re on my crime scene.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Drop the territorial cop act, Danno, I just want to help!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t Danno me!” Suddenly Danny is in Steve’s space, they’re so close he can smell Steve. It’s a mix of sweat, sunlight and gunpowder; there are notes of green tea because he drinks one cup a day and he’s sure that if he could let his tongue lick slowly the skin on the crook of Steve’s neck, he would taste salty water.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh God, Danny knows this is a bad idea – especially the way Steve is looking at him now, a look that falls somewhere between shocked and intrigued, his beautiful eyes staring with an intensity that makes Danny’s knees weak, and his cock hard and aching.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck is your problem?” Steve pushes Danny away but he’s too strong to back down. Danny gets even more stubborn -- he doesn’t move, trapping Steve between the side of the Camaro and his hot and tense body. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny Williams has never been the kind of man that lets go when things get complicated. He dives in with all he’s got, he’s more heart than head and many people find his behavior oppressive and too intense -- but he knows Steve likes the challenge. Nice and easy has never been his cup of tea. So Danny braces for whatever reaction will come from this, throws caution to the wind,  and kisses Steve. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kiss is sloppy, messy. There’s too much teeth and tongue but Danny doesn’t care. He presses his tongue between Steve’s lips and licks into his mouth, savoring the taste of coffee, sweet tropical fruit, and Steve. At first, Steve is too surprised to respond but then it kicks in like electricity through his body. So Steve kisses Danny back, shaking with arousal at the way Danny’s hand wraps possessively around the back of Steve’s neck while he rubs their bodies together – delicious friction that makes Steve’s cock hard and leaking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The kiss is still hot and messy and the only reason they stop is because they’re gasping for air. Danny wants Steve and he wants him badly, it’s like his skin is burning under the soft fabric of his shirt, but this is Steve – his Steve – and Danny doesn’t want to cross a line and risk losing him. He stops himself just in time, but not before reaching for another kiss, teeth biting lightly on Steve’s lower lip and enjoying that</span>
  <em>
    <span> Danno, Danno, Danno, </span>
  </em>
  <span>whispered softly against his mouth. This almost makes him come untouched – he’s so hard that later at home he will have a three minutes shower because Danny would probably only need half of the time to come all over the white tiles of the shower.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck me.” He’s not sure if it’s a plea or pure frustration but Danny wants it so badly. Instead he gives Steve one more quick kiss – soft and caring, there’s no rush this time – and then he smiles. “Go to sleep, babe. And stay away from my crime scene or next time I’m gonna spank your perfect, sexy ass.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve doesn’t look too bothered by the prospect of a punishment and Danny groans, frustrated because yes, his boxer briefs are a sticky mess. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The journey home is as uncomfortable as it can get and before closing the door behind him, Steve stares at Danny for a minute and it feels like an eternity. Danny wants more and he doesn’t know how to ask. The plan for the rest of the evening is a shower that leaves him moaning for more while he strokes his cock under the hot water muttering Steve’s name over and over. Danny doesn’t sleep that night. </span>
</p><p><br/>
</p><p>
  <b>Three is the pattern</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The third time is because of the stupid calendar. It’s for a good cause. All the members of Fire Station 25 are participating – the local community center needs a new gym and the fire department was more than happy to contribute with a calendar of hot firefighters posing with kittens and puppies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny wasn’t aware the photoshoot was  happening today. He and Chin spent the day at the center playing football with the kids. Danny’s tired, sweaty and his  shorts are sticking to his legs and not in a sexy way – Chin on the other hand is fresh as a palm tree and chill like usual and Danny hates him a bit for this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The community center is a few yards away from Queen’s beach and today the area is more crowded than normal, there is excitement in the air. There’s a photoshoot happening on the beach and the entire team of Fire Station 24 is there and wait, is that a litter of kittens?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny is about done for the day and it’s only two in the afternoon. It’s a beautiful day in sunny Oahu, the beach is crowded with beautiful people and there’s a group of attractive firefighters standing half-naked in front of the ocean and cuddling kittens - It’s basically Christmas. Danny’s heart is about to explode because this might be the hottest and cutest thing he’s ever seen in his entire life.  This is until Steve McGarrett joins the rest of the firefighters on set, carrying the little bundle of joy that is Lucy – the kitten is sweet and cuddly with everyone but Danny, last time she clawed her way up to Danny’s leg and collapsed on his lap for two hours. Every attempt to get up was met with outrage and more claws. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The team from Fire Station 25 are all there. Chin is chatting animatedly with his cousin Kono while Danny is trying to not get caught staring at Steve like a dreamy schoolgirl – the vivid memory of their kiss is still branded in his head like a tattoo and it’s not going away, no matter how many cold showers he has. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny’s heart melts looking at the scene. Steve McGarrett – tall, dark and gorgeous killing machine trained by the Navy to endure torture and interrogation – is posing in front of a camera wearing only a pair of tight jeans that seems to be gloved around those long legs like a second skin. They are full of holes that show just enough skin to tempt whoever is watching. He doesn’t wear a shirt, sculpted muscles and broad shoulders covered in tattoos stand in display and Danny is a man lost in the desert and begging for a glass of water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve smiles at the camera while holding his little ginger tabby, his fingertips stroking the soft fur with a tenderness that rarely people are lucky enough to see in Steve McGarrett’s beautiful face. From a corner someone approaches him and drops another kitten on his left shoulder, and this is as much Danny can take because his heart is beating too fast and his hands are sweating. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He's a fucking stereotype. How did he end up falling in love with the brave and loyal firefighter? He’s a walking Hallmark movie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s the way Steve smiles, how softly the skin crinkles on the side of his mouth, it’s all dimples and brightness and makes Danny’s heart beat faster. Steve laughs at the way Lucy tries to rub her furry little head against his cheek, purring loudly at the feeling of Steve’s stubble. He looks at Danny, smiling bright under the sun and for a moment there is no one else but them on the beach. Danny can’t take it any longer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s no such thing as a dignified retreat and Danny is not ashamed to admit that he basically ran away, babbling some excuse, without looking back. He finds shelter in the locker room of the old gym at the community center. He can feel the panic rising through his chest; it’s a wave of feelings that he can’t control and it's not like anything he’s ever felt before and it scares the hell out of him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Danno, are you okay?” It’s Steve McGarrett. He’s sweaty, he’s panting for air like he just came back from a run, and he looks genuinely concerned about Danny. He knows Steve will not let this go because he’s stubborn and for some reason he really cares about Danny, Grace and everything concerning him. It starts to get confusing because it’s blurring the clear line between their friendship and the dangerous game they seem to play when their tempers run hot and their defenses are down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s you! You Neanderthal, it’s all your fault!” Danny is losing it again and for now he doesn’t seem to care. He presses his hands against Steve’s chest and just pushes him against the cold wall of the locker room and it’s the back of the Camaro all over again. It’s hot and exciting. He touches Steve’s body slowly, pressing the tips of his fingers on the tanned skin and he knows he will leave red signs all over him and the idea of marking Steve makes Danny’s cock swell inside his shorts, hot and leaking pre-come. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve is hard too, judging from the bulge in his jeans and the way his body flushes beautifully under Danny’s touch. He’s tense, gasping for breath, his eyes are dark, with his pupils dilated. Steve is craving to lose control, he wants Danny to take over, do whatever he wants with him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Danno, please…” It’s a plea against his lips, Steve’s voice is tentative and his body is trembling, reaching to Danny’s trying to create some friction, some relief from the arousal building between them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny kisses Steve again and like the last time, there’s no finesse. It’s sloppy, open-mouthed and Danny’s tongue slips between Steve’s lips, meeting no resistance. Danny licks and tastes, frantic and messy. Steve moans in his mouth, rubbing his hard cock against Danny’s, looking for contact, dry humping like there’s nothing else more important than feel. It hits Danny like a ton of bricks that Steve trusts him enough to let go some of his usual control. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please Danno…” Steve whispers against his mouth, and then he sucks on Danny’s lower lip, he’s gentle and soft and something warm explodes in Danny’s chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you want, babe?” Danny asks in a gentle voice, cupping Steve’s face with both hands, bringing their eyes to meet and oh God, he can barely describe the color of his eyes but they’re beautiful.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want everything, Danno.” It’s a whisper, but his voice is firm, focused – this is Steve McGarrett the SEAL, the man running missions with tactical ability, a man who knows what he wants. And he wants Danno. Steve drops on his knees and fumbles erratically with the zip of Danny’s trousers to free his cock. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny’s cock is slightly shorter than Steve’s, but it’s thick and smooth and uncut, red and wet with pre-come and Steve licks his lips and tastes it. Steve’s mouth is hot and slow: he licks a stripe along the head to the base of his cock before wandering down, nuzzling at the blonde curls at the base of his cock, sucking Danny’s balls into his mouth, playing around with his tongue and </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck me</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Danny’s hands grips at Steve’s dark hair, pulling roughly between the fingers and he’s grateful for the wall because right now, Steve is sucking away all of his balance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny moans helplessly when Steve licks the tip of his cock, tasting the come on his tongue. He goes slow and steady on purpose and his eyes never move away from Danny’s face. He wraps one hand at the base of Danny’s cock and strokes a little while he increases the rhythm of his mouth; he sucks deep, rotating his tongue around the head and Danny is about done holding himself back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny’s grasp strengthens, he digs his fingers deeper into Steve’ hair and he uses them to get leverage to command the rhythm of his hips thrusting against Steve’s mouth. Oh God, he can feel his cock pushing deep, all the way into the back of Steve’s throat. Who knew Steve wouldn’t have any difficulty swallowing down his cock and meeting his demanding and rough thrusts?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The orgasm builds up like the tension between them: it starts slow at the base of his cock, his balls shuddering with pressure and then it goes from zero to a hundred in what seems like an eternity, Steve’s throat grasping around the length of Danny’s cock, hard and fast and relentless. Danny calls Steve’s name and tries to move but now Steve stops him, keeping Danny in place with his strong hands while Danny’s come spurts inside Steve’s mouth and all the way down his throat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve gags a bit but it doesn’t matter. He just stays on his knees, eyes firmly looking at Danny’s face and he swallows all the come, sucking Danny through the orgasm until he’s nothing but shaking and panting and then he licks his lips, trying to catch elusive drops of come. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny grabs him by the shoulders and brings Steve back up on his feet to kiss him again, tasting his own come on Steve’s lips, soaking in the feeling of this moment – they’re wet, sticky and Steve is so goddamn hard, his big, hard cock pulsing inside his tight jeans and fuck, Danny wants to make him come more than anything. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a swift movement, Danny pushes Steve against the wall. “Hands above your head, don’t touch yourself.” His voice is harsher than he intended but Steve complies without protest, body shuddering with excitement at the idea of Danny being in control. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny decides to slow down and explore. His hands slowly touch around Steve’s chiseled chest, the hard muscles under his fingers and he stops to play with Steve’s sensitive nipples. Steve trembles under Danny’s touch, moaning loudly and trying to rub his hard and leaking cock against Danny any way he can. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny palms Steve’s cock with a hand and it’s so big and hard, he’s salivating at the thought of running his tongue along the entire length, sucking the head hard until his mouth is full of come. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You love it, do you? Losing control, letting me drive, my hand rubbing your cock.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve nods frantically and Danny just can’t take it anymore. He unbuttons Steve’s jeans and drags them down enough for his hand to grasp around the thick base of Steve’s cock. It’s smooth and wet with pre-come and he doesn’t even need lube right now because Steve is so wet for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Babe, you’re so wet and sticky. I could fuck you against this wall without any preparation and you would just moan my name, am I right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another frantic nod is the only answer he gets. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve comes with Danny’s name on his lips, stripes of come spurting on his hairy chest. Danny just wants to bring him to his place, lie down on the bed with his arms wrapped around Steve and cuddle until tomorrow morning, but it doesn’t happen this time either and any attempt by Steve to say something is shut down by Danny.   </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny flees the scene – a tactical retreat if you prefer, but the excuse is getting old – and he’s not proud of it, especially because he turns around for a moment before leaving the locker room and Steve is staring at him with a sadness in his eyes that makes Danny’s heart ache, he looks heartbroken.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That night, he spends hours on the couch eating ice cream and drinking single malt whiskey, Hallmark channel running in the background and it hits  him like a slap in the face how much Steve trusted him to be in control, that for once Steve actually let him in, and Danny ran away like a coward.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They don’t talk about it and something breaks between them because Steve is distant and careful not to cross paths with Danny anymore, and suddenly there is a Steve-shaped hole in Danny’s life – they say people only realize what’s important when they lose it. Maybe it’s the case.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One week later, Danny sees Steve heading out of his house, wearing a nice white shirt, dark jeans and carrying a bouquet of flowers. Steve looks awfully like someone who’s going on a date. Danny wants to say something, but the voice seems to die down in his throat and the panic settles inside him like a blanket on his shoulder. At least there is more ice cream in the freezer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>What’s four?</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The phone rings just before ten o’clock on New Years’ Eve and Danny is  barely ten feet away from the shower when a colleague from HPD informs him that one Steve McGarrett has been taken to hospital after a bar brawl started at a club in Waikiki beach – apparently Danny became Steve’s emergency contact at some point and he’s at the hospital because he was involved in a fight and it was bad enough to need treatment. Danny is in the car five seconds later and he drives to the hospital breaking a couple of speed limits and thinking that maybe he’s not too late and he can make things right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve is in a private room of the ER, sitting on the bed while a nurse is patching him up. He’s not wearing a shirt – that doesn’t surprise Danny at all – but the left side of his chest is covered in nasty bruises that are starting to shade from black to purple and he probably has a few cracked ribs. He has a black eye, his lower lip is cut and slightly swollen, and his right hand is scraped and bruised. The nurse is wrapping it in a soft bandage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kono is outside in the waiting room, she doesn’t look happy to see him and Danny can’t blame her. She’s fiercely protective of Steve. Eventually she tells him that they were spending the evening with the rest of the team in this club on the beach when Steve saw a group of guys harassing two girls near the dancefloor and he tried to help them. Needless to say, even a big guy like Steve couldn’t avoid some punches against a group of five men and by the time the rest of the team came to his aid, he was pushed down and kicked in the stomach more than once, while trying to shield his head from being hit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny knows he looks wrecked and maybe Kono decides to cut him some slack because she whispers to him, “You better fix it, Williams, or I will come and find you and kick your sorry ass.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then Kono leaves and Danny is left alone waiting for the nurse to come and let him know what happens now with Steve. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It's another half hour before she comes around and tells him that Steve refuses to stay until tomorrow in observation and Danny’s allowed to bring Steve home as long as he monitors him during the night and brings him back if there are any complications. He nods and sends a message to Chin ensuring that the assholes from the club are still under arrest and that their stay at HPD is as unpleasant as possible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Babe…” Danny doesn’t know what to say and Steve looks at him, surprised and concerned, like he’s not sure if Danny is really there or if he’s imagining everything – maybe he was hit in the head, maybe he should spend the night in the hospital. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Danny’s body against him is real and those strong arms are really wrapped around his neck in a firm but still delicate hug that leaves him out of breath and his heart is beating furiously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you here, Danno?” Steve leans closer and puts his face in the crook of Danny’s neck and waits for an answer, but not before he asks if the girls from the club made it home safe. Even when he’s in pain, hurt, and drained from all the energy, Steve is still the kind and compassionate Navy SEAL-turned-firefighter with the biggest heart Danny’s ever known.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They are okay, at home and safe, because of you.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>You big softie</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Danny smiles and places a soft kiss on Steve’s head. “I’m here because they called me and because you’re my friend and I care about you.” Except that friends don’t do what they did in the locker room or up against the side of the Camaro. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They get home shortly before midnight and they can hear the music from the neighboring places and the loud bang of fireworks exploding in the sky in the distance. They enter Steve’s place and the rest of the furry squad run at the door to welcome them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny smiles because it’s kind of cute and then feels the tense silence between them. It shouldn’t be weird but it is. There’s too much still left unsaid between them, including feelings that Danny has not been yet brave enough to admit to Steve or himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Truth is this – the weird relationship between them – is not just about kisses or mind-blowing foreplay, and Danny is terrified because he wants more. He wants to wake up in the morning and rest his head on Steve’s chest; he wants to trace the dark lines of Steve’s tattoos with the tips of his fingers; he wants to hang around in Steve’s kitchen and make pancakes with blueberries and coconut syrup – because Steve loves them – and wake him up with a cup of coffee and a soft kiss on the lips. He wants to peel the uniform off his body after a long day, lick stripes of sweat from his body, and fuck him senseless under the hot water in the shower upstairs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should go home, Danno. I’ll be fine.” Steve sounds tired, defeated, and maybe it’s not just because of what happened tonight. It breaks Danny’s heart to see how Steve is giving him the chance to go, offering a way out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want to go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But it’s not enough for Steve, he wants to know why. Danny can see the question on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You get under my skin, Steve. You keep pushing my buttons. You’re always in my personal space, you have no boundaries, and I thought that it was only the tension between us driving me to you. But it’s not just that. I made a space in my life that is all for you and now I can’t imagine my life </span>
  <em>
    <span>without </span>
  </em>
  <span>you. I love you, Steve, I’m so in love with you it hurts, and it drives me crazy and it scares the hell out of me. I’m messy, loud and too much to handle, this is why Rachel left me, because I was suffocating her and I wasn’t willing to change but this is who I am, this is how I love you, babe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now Danny is offering a way out, because he learned a long time ago that he loves in the same way he does his job, with all his heart and all his passion. He can’t be any other way. If Steve rejects him, it’s going to be a struggle to let go. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you met me?” Steve snorts, because well, he’s not exactly the poster-boy of a stable relationship. “You make me feel alive, Danno. Every time I’m with you, everything feels real and hot and I can let go. I know we started our friendship by yelling at each other and I know you can be hot-headed, opinionated, and sometimes you don’t really think too much about the consequences. But you’re real, you’re honest, and you love me not for the way I look but for the person I am. I spent half of my life following rules and controlling my feelings because the life of my brothers in arms was my responsibility, and when I came back home to be a civilian, I chose a job in which I run into buildings that are on fire. I thrive in having every situation under control, I need it. But when I’m with you, I can just let go. I love you, Danno, exactly the way you are.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And wow, turns out Steve has words after all, he just doesn’t use them often, and Danny’s heart melts at the view of Steve, full of insecurities while he’s waiting for Danny to say something, anything. Danny makes his point with a kiss while the clock strikes midnight and fireworks explode all over the sky - the timing is Hallmark’s movie perfection. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve beams into the kiss, chasing Danny’s tongue in his mouth. He deepens the kiss, ignoring the subtle pain from the cut on his lower lip and he searches for more, for contact with naked skin. He stops only to tug the shirt off himself and then he dives into the kiss again, while his hands fumble around the buttons of Danny’s shirt. Frustration kicks in shortly after and suddenly Steve just rips it open, buttons flying everywhere and he promises to sew them back tomorrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Steve, you’re hurt.” Danny tries to stop but he’s cut off by a sharp</span>
  <em>
    <span> I don’t care</span>
  </em>
  <span>, whispered against his lips. “You need to tell me what you want, Stevie, once we do this we can’t just go back to ignoring each other or pretending we don’t care. I want it all, Steve. I want to wake up every day next to you. I want to call you mine and hold your hand when we go out on a date. I want to suck your cock and fuck you into the mattress until you’re a sobbing mess and you beg me to make you come. What do you want, Steve?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want everything with you, Danno, starting from the bed upstairs and then I want to wake up in the morning next to you, I wanna blow you under the sheet, go for a swim and make you breakfast.” This is when Danny loses it and they get back to kissing. He smiles into it because he never thought he could be so happy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they get to the bedroom upstairs, Danny interrupts the kiss to push Steve down on the bed. He takes a moment to enjoy the view: Steve is flushed, panting and his eyes are dark with lust. He’s also hard as a rock inside the cargo pants and he tries to soothe the need by rubbing his hand on his cock, but Danny is quicker and he slaps Steve’s hand away, shaking his head.  “No touching, babe. This is all mine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny drops the shirt and the tie on the floor and then gets his trousers open. His cock is hard, the head an angry red and already wet with drops of pre-come – he goes commando on occasion and the sight makes Steve moan without shame, “Fuck, Danno, I need you. Touch me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny gets on top of him, scraping his fingers over the skin of Steve’s muscular chest, careful not to put any weight on the bruised areas. His touch is light as a feather but he plays with Steve’s nipples, his fingernails stroking them. Steve arches his back and looks for friction, any kind of contact with Danny’s body, whispering his name over and over, begging for release. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny licks a long line that goes from the sensitive point between Steve’s neck and his earlobe all the way down to the happy trails of dark curly hairs, and then he finally strips Steve of the cargo pants. Steve is not wearing any underwear either. Steve’s cock is pulsing, long and thick and so wet with pre-come that Danny could easily slide on top and ride him until they both come yelling.  But he doesn’t.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny presses their cocks together and there’s the delicious friction they both were looking for. Danny uses his hand to wrap around as much as he can of both of their cocks, rubbing them using their slickness as lube to make the movements smoother. It’s slow and steady, controlled, a teasing taste and fuck, Steve’s body seems to vibrate under him, pliable and flushed by arousal, ready to be fucked into the mattress.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It's wet and sticky and it gets even better when he reaches for the bottle of lube on the nightstand and gets a generous amount on his fingers. The first contact with Steve’s hole is pure electricity, he moans and calls his name and he begs for more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harder, please give me more.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Danny adds a second finger and brushes against Steve’s prostate repeatedly. By the time he works a third finger inside to make Steve ready for his cock, Steve is a mess of sweat, blushing beautifully and begging to come. Danny knows he could make Steve come right now but no, it’s too soon, and he brings his hand to the base of Steve’s cock, his grasp strong enough to stop him from coming while his balls clench in a mix of pain and pleasure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Babe, can I…” Danny is losing it and he’s fucking close. Steve nods without hesitation – condoms forgotten in the drawer because both of them get tested regularly and they’re clean - and Danny finally pushes inside and it’s so tight and hot, Steve’s ass clenched around his hard cock and he has to stop for a moment or this will be finished before he’s even all the way inside Steve.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny goes slow, gentle and giving Steve the time to adjust to his thick cock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Danny, please, more.” Steve is so full and it hurts a bit, but it also feels amazing, it’s like floating and it’s hot and messy but he doesn’t care because he wants Danny all the way inside him and he wants it now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Danny can take a hint. He pushes into Steve  again, until every inch of his cock is inside Steve’s ass and God, it could stay like this for hours, it’s so hot and the pressure of that perfect ass clenched all around him is pure heaven. He starts moving, slow paced, being mindful not to hurt Steve but he rolls his hips, meeting Danny’s thrusts with urgency in a clear invitation of going faster. That it’s all he needs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shifts slightly so Steve is lying on his side and picks up the pace, hitting Steve’s prostate with every thrust. It’s frantic, there’s not much finesse, but it feels fucking good and the bedroom is filled with moaning and the sound of their bodies hitting against each other.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It doesn’t take long, but neither of them seem to care. Danny comes first, filling Steve’s hole with come. He thrusts, inside him through the orgasm while he bites the soft skin of his neck, hard enough to leave a mark that feels a lot like a claim. Steve comes shortly after him, untouched, white lines of semen spurting between them, painting his abs so nicely that Danny can’t do anything but spread it with his hand and lick it from the tip of his fingers, tasting Steve in his mouth and it shouldn’t be so erotic but it is.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you, babe. I love you so much.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mine, my Steve</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He captures Steve’s lips in a possessive kiss, all tongue and teeth, as they clasp each other tight. Steve lies compliant in his arm, blissed out by the orgasm and smiling softly against his lips.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, Danno.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They lie next to each other for a while, kissing lazily and lazing in the bliss of the best sex they’ve ever had. Neither of them care about changing the sheets and getting rid of the drying come on their bodies, not for at least another while. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually, Steve joins Danny in the shower and Danny gets on his knees and blows him against the white tiles, and when Steve comes again, he swallows until the last drop and drags him in another filthy kiss that leaves them breathless and barely able to stand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The new year’s first sunrise comes through the thin fabric of the curtains when they are both sleeping, Steve laying on his side with his head on Danny’s chest, and for the first time in weeks, the nightmares are at bay. Steve is safely tucked next to Danny and it feels like home.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>One is an incident, two is a coincidence, and three is a pattern. What’s four?</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Danny arrives at Fire Station 25 on Monday morning, he’s in a good mood, and there’s a goofy smile on his face.  Steve fucked him in the shower when he came back from his usual morning swim. He cooked breakfast wearing only a pair of loose sweatpants and maybe it took a little bit longer than usual but none of them will complain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve gets out of the Camaro’s driver side and hands the keys to Danny, taking the duffle bag with a change of clothes from the back seat. He doesn’t really mind the fact that everyone in the team is staring at him and Danny, because he hasn’t been this happy in a long time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for letting me drive. I’ll pick up dinner on the way home. I love you, Danno,” Steve says before leaning down to kiss Danny, licking into his mouth with no hesitation – sure, maybe he’s putting on a bit of a show, but it’s about time, and everybody seems to think the same, at least judging from the way everyone is clapping and yelling and wait, is that money changing hands? Had his team been placing bets on him and Danny getting together?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t wait, babe. Just please, refrain from running into any building that’s on fire, would you?” Danny is only half joking because Steve can be a little crazy when he’s working, but he doesn’t look very sorry, he just smiles back, all dimples and bright as the sun, and Danny Williams knows he’s totally gone for him. “Love you too, babe.” When Danny drives away, he looks at the rearview mirror and Steve is still smiling at him and it never felt so good.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>